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Saturday, 10 March 2018

March did come in like a lion rather both in terms of weather and in terms of being busy. I have been packing and re-packing so I can take the minimum and do the maximum with it as I travel to Australia next week under the invitation of Fibre Arts Australia. It is appropriate that whilst I am away, that I have a piece, 'edges of Australia' in the Page 17 Embroiderers' Guild exhibition at the Fashion and Embroidery Show- NEC Birmingham 15-18 March and Artrix in October 2018. Read more here. Here it is open at a section appropriate to marking Mother's day.

Nothing like working up to the last minute. I have just sent in the last proof for my next book Textile Landscape:Painting with Cloth (Batsford) which is out in September.

And organising photography with the my editor and my photographer Jacqui Hurst

Had a lovely interview with Helen Bowen of Sewing World Magazine in the March issue We Meet article (share the lead page here)

Finally, delighted to listed as one of theFive2Watch on Axisweb feature on five artists who create textile artworks early in the month.

Wednesday, 31 January 2018

The Moody Blues, Days of Future Passed. I grew up with that album playing in the background of my youth and I cannot believe how it is only now I really appreciate the sentiment in the music. Valuing each day before they pass to quickly and now I blink and a day is gone rather than the thousand years it felt in my childhood.

Enough sentiment, January is the start of the year and it was launched with a lovely interview by Karen Hollocks in Pretty Patches Magazine. in which she discusses how my father influenced the way I take a look at the world.

Back to work with the best of all starts a meeting with my editor at Batsford/Pavilion and Jacqui Hurst photographer to discuss the shoot for my next book Textile Landscape: Painting with Cloth. This is my fourth book and the writing and decision making remains as complex and rewarding as ever. The book will be launched at several exhibitions and events planned over the year which also includes some exciting news about Tea Flora Tales.

Delighted to have supported Rowan's Hospice and Making Space in the Power of Tin auction in mid January. This little piece, Woodland Edge, part of a series themed: 'Landscape in a Tin' was printed on a tin sheet and sits in an old cigar tin.

Preparations for my trip to Australia in March are under way. Courses filled pretty quickly with Fibre Arts Australia so have squeezed in a couple of additional spaces at the Hub Creative Space in Townsville 22-24 March.

I am so excited to be meeting up with friends and getting creative 'down under'. Even so, thinking on 'Moody Blues' the days of the future will soon pass and I have just confirmed a creative teaching trip with Arts and Cultural travel to Italy in October (message me if you want any further details of any workshops)

'Concealed' with Art Textiles Made in Britain at Maidstone Museum and Art Gallery finishes on 10 February. A few glimpses of the show here. We have received visitors from all over the UK and indeed, one person flew in from Germany to see it. Thankyou for your welcome comments. A few pics from Meet the Artists in December

I have sneak preview here of one or two pieces in progress which are themed around the ideas of misheard song lyrics. Sure to be intriguing. Take in Journeys with ‘The Waste Land’at the Turner Contemporary artists work based on the poem The Waste Land by TS Eliot at the same time.

Friday, 29 December 2017

Janus is the god of beginnings, gates, transitions, time, duality, doorways, passages, and endings. Depicted as having two faces, since he looks to the future and to the past. I always see this time of the year as both a time of reflection and of beginnings. Shogatsu, the Japanese New Year, becomes the time to settle your debts, clean house and mark time with friends as you face the new. With that in mind, tax return done, family to be visited but the house cleaning can wait until the Spring!

The Snowdrop is the adopted flower for January so entirely appropriate to share with you all. This features in Stitch Stories and one of the first meeting I have in the New Year is discuss photographs for my next book which is due out by the end of 2018.

Snowdrops were one of my father's favourite flowers. I always enjoy seeing them poke their heads up...for some this year, through the Snow but not a great deal here in the South East so far. My work over the last year has seen me travelling round most of Europe. I was delighted to be one of the first exhibitors at the Farnham Pottery early in the year and was able to trial a new installation 'Trees' at this amazing old pottery now turned artspace and café. This also supported the Canine Partners charity with a follow up exhibition at the Ox Market in Chichester.

I ran around a lot of Europe this year with short courses from the Netherlands, Germany and France as well is in the UK. Much of my work has recently included conservation and community linked projects with the regional Kent and Surrey Wildlife Trusts and with the Caring Hands project in the Medway towns.

I was involved with several articles on my work during the year ands delighted to featured in an article in Somerset Studio Magazine early in 2017. The front page features the installation Tea Flora Tales which will be exhibited at Nadelwelt in May (further news on subsequent showings to follow)

Loved this insightful article by the guys at Textileartist in the latter part of the year into my working practice. However, the interview which certainly got me at my most 'direct' is the Podcast by Stitchery Stories.How did we get onto Star Trek, fairground organs, and creativity vs linear thinking?

As we move into 2018 I am delighted to be back with Fibre Arts Australia and WRAPT in Queensland in March and April. My workshops filled very quickly but have recently added Go Create New England to the schedule. I am also teaching in France and on the Summer School at West Dean.

Art Textiles Made in Britain 'Concealed' exhibition continues at Maidstone Museum and Art Gallery until 10th February. A little look at Unfolding Landscapes in position.

I continue to enjoy the challenges these set for me and the opportunity to meet with new ideas, people and makers as well as re-affirm existing professional friendships. Thankyou to all who continue to support my work and bless you all with as many new and exciting things you wish for and the health of your family and friends.

travel takes place in the mind as much as across land or even continents.

The exhibition opens on Saturday 9 December and closes February 10th. A workshop will also be held by Cas Holmes on the closing day. Some of the artists will be there on Saturday 16th December from 1-4pm if you would like to pop in and say hello. As the year closes I am pleased to announce I handed in my copy to Batsford for my next book which connects cloth to the landscape. I have a photograph planning meeting early in January and will update with news as more details are confirmed.I am also planning new works for exhibition in 2018 including a guest exhibition at Nadel-welt in Germany with Common-Land and the global collaboration Tea-Flora-Tales (pictured below at the European Patchwork Meeting in 2014).

I also had a rare day out and went to the Victoria and Albert Museum to visit The Women's Hour Craft Prize. Well worth a visit if a little tucked away. Loved this dancing shadow on the wall in the collections as I walked through.

A bonus was this fabulous photographic art exhibition Into the Woods. Photography was my secondary subject at art college. I was glad I do not need to carry around Hasellblads or full plate camera's today

Yosemite Valley, to me, is always a sunrise, a glitter of green and golden wonder in a vast edifice of stone and space. I know of no sculpture, painting or music that exceeds the compelling spiritual command of the soaring shape of granite cliff and dome, of patina of light on rock and forest, and of the thunder and whispering of the falling, flowing waters. At first the colossal aspect may dominate; then we perceive and respond to the delicate and persuasive complex of nature.

Tuesday, 7 November 2017

As we move through to Autumn I am drawn to the fact that not only are the days getting colder but also the available daylight is lessening in intensity and time. I like to stitch and do my colour work in daytime so need to manage my time effectively. Working with restrictions on my space, time and even materials can, in fact, liberate rather than constrict my ideas and lead to unexpected outcomes. This is discussed in more detail on my recent article From Conception to Creation on Textile Artist as part of a series of interviews looking behind the artist's process.

Sometimes these limitations are out of our control or choice I recently worked on a project with ‘at risk’ and homeless adults in partnership with Caring Hands and Nucleus Arts in the Medway Towns. The project, situated in Chatham provide vulnerable people with access to the essentials required for them to survive, from food to showers to advice and activities. A friendly hand of help to those who need it.

We made ‘Note tins’ to provide individuals with a small waterproof notebook or even sketchbook at the same time participants were also able to engage and chat across the table whilst learning new skills. Thankyou to a few individuals and the manager at Argos in Maidstone who provided some of the materials required (some of you bright eyed amongst may recognise some former copies of WOW magazine which were published in the Medway towns until recently by Emma Dewhurst). Thrilled to say that Art Textile Made in Britain opens their exhibition Concealed at Maidstone Museum Next month bringing their work to the South for the first time. Will report on this in a future blog.

Recent cycle rides through the park on my way to teach at my local Adult Education Centre draws my attention back to the trees as I enjoy the bones of their trunks and branches against the glow of leaves and mist. Certainly colder.

Some of these ideas may even figure in my next publication with Batsford due out next year. More news to follow.